


Treasure Hunt

by anonymousstoryperson



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Deals, M/M, Mermaids, Merman!Loki, Sailor!Tony, Treasure Hunt, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2019-10-31 16:25:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17853086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymousstoryperson/pseuds/anonymousstoryperson
Summary: Tony's a sailor who's eager to prove himself, his eyes on a risky journey with a tempting reward. The trip could get him killed, but an unlikely deal with a more unlikely party may help with that.





	1. Chapter 1

Tony dropped down to sit on the edge of the pier with a sigh, one leg hanging off the edge to swing dejectedly. He scrubbed one hand down his face and looked out to the horizon, visible past the port and mocking him from under the evening sky. Mocking him with the journey he couldn’t undertake. He knew that sailing through the Asgardian Aisles wouldn’t exactly be a breeze, but he had been so intent on the journey he hadn’t really thought about how hard it would be. Even Obie had encouraged it, with the rewards the journey would give him a temptation he couldn’t ignore. It had taken Rhodey to get through just how dangerous it was. The turbulence of the waves was only the beginning of the problems. The perpetual storms. The shallows. The creatures rumoured to live there. No ships returned from there, no wonder no-one tried it. 

Rhodey had just left after letting him know how many ships went down in those aisles, how many skilled sailors had lost the battle in those waters. Not so many in recent years, but only because no-one dared it anymore. The previous eras, however... 

The silence that had taken place of his friend lapped over him, leaving no obstacles for the images that the lecture brought forward. He thought of his own ship, his pride and joy, lying wrecked on the ocean bed, and he swore he felt ill. He couldn’t risk it. 

“I can help.” 

His flinch nearly sent him over into the water, where somehow, the voice had come from. When he regained whatever composure he had left, he scrambled to a crouch and scanned the waves until his eyes landed on a face. 

It was pale, incredibly so, framed by dark hair that was long enough to still float on the water. There was a smile on his face- barely there, but let Tony know that this person knew something he didn’t. The man was treading water not far from the pier. Tony couldn’t help but stare. 

“What?” 

“I can help you.” The stranger said, “You want to cross the Asgardian Aisles. I can give you safe passage.” 

“What do you mean you can give- who the hell are you?” 

Most people, with the exception of rare souls like Rhodey, are immediately put off and insulted by his blunt tone, but this man actually looked amused and raised his chin challengingly. “You may call me Loki.” 

“Alright Loki.” Tony relaxed, lowering himself down to sit with his back to the pier’s pillar, arms crossed, “You want to tell me exactly how a dude having an evening swim can get me and my ship across one of the most dangerous waters we know of?” 

That smile grew into a relaxed grin as Loki came forward, reaching up to the edge and pulling himself up until his elbows rested on the platform. Tony noticed he was shirtless. Concerning, given the temperature of the waters at this time, but he wasn’t complaining. “I’m intimately familiar with the Aisles. The waves may be a bit choppy for a while, but it all calms down on the other side, I can assure you.” 

Tony wouldn’t be lying if he said he was interested. “The other side? You’ve seen Asgard?” 

“I have.” 

Tony had moved closer, all scepticism forgotten. “And the bounty hidden there- that’s real?” 

There was a promise in those eyes. “The fortune of a once all-powerful king and sailor, hidden away on an island surrounded by storm to protect their legacy from all but the bravest and skilled? You’d have to get there and find out. I’ve never stumbled across it.” 

“Is that why you want to help me? Work as a team, share the reward?” 

A scoff. “What do I need it for? No, that’s all yours.” 

That scepticism was back. “That sounds like bull to me. No man would give up something like that.” 

“That is exactly true.” He nodded solemnly, that damned smile not shifting. “In fact, I’d say no human alive would.” 

The wording caught him off-guard, and suddenly all the clues clicked into place. Familiar with the aisles, no need for treasure, just happened to be in the sea and seemed truly unbothered by the cold... 

“No way.” He breathed, and Loki just grinned at him, getting his hands under himself and pushing himself upwards. A pale torso followed him up, skin that seemed to seamlessly blend into glittering scales, their emerald sheen only just visible in the late sun. Under the shadows the pier cast, the tail looked almost black. 

“As I said,” Loki continued, and he would seem oblivious of Tony’s shock if the grin didn’t give him away, “I can help you cross the Aisle, and whatever you take from there is your business. I can’t exactly stop you.” 

The sailor forced himself to look away from the scales and focus on their conversation. “And in return? Our lore may be wrong, but I don’t think mermaids tend to help land-dwellers without payment.” 

“That’s generalising.” He shifted his weight to one hand in order to wave dismissively. “I personally know one or two that would help anyone out of the goodness of their hearts if they thought it a good use of their time. But I would ask for something in return.” 

“Yes?” 

“Stories. Human trinkets. Either would do. Both if you’re feeling particularly thankful. Something I can’t find in the ocean, a tale from the land. That is my only price, if you already include your discretion.” 

“You’d rather I told no-one?” 

“Can you imagine the hunt for mermaids that would start up if your kind thought they could make us solve your problems for you? And besides, wouldn’t you prefer humans believing you alone can make it, from your own merits?” 

That did make sense. He didn’t like keeping things from Obie, but he felt this he could keep to himself. 

“Deal.” Tony decided, holding out a hand. Loki didn’t take it- just looked at it with a furrow in his brows. 

“Oh, humans tend to shake hands, to show greeting or seal a deal. It’s just a thing.” 

Loki nodded slowly and reached out, grasping the hand hesitantly. Tony shook it, exaggerating the movement slightly, enjoying the look of curiosity. 

“Very well.” Loki said when they released each other, “When do you wish to depart, sailor?” 

“Three day’s time. You can catch up with my ship once I’m out of the harbour. And it’s Tony.”


	2. Chapter 2.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony leaves for the Aisles.

“Tones, did you not listen to anything I said to you the other day?” Rhodey interrogated as Tony ignored him, rolling another barrel of salted beef up the ramp and onto the deck.

“You know, I thought you knew me well enough to know that I actually know exactly what I’m doing.” Tony replied, righting the barrel and turning to face him. “I did listen, took everything on board. So now I’m prepared to deal with all that stuff.”

“Tones-“

“Rhodey, Honey Bear, light of my life- trust me.” Tony put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I’ve got it covered. I’ll be back before you know it, and I’ll make you a rich man for putting up with me.”

He still didn’t look convinced, but at least he smiled. “So you still think that myth is true? With no one to who has ever seen land out there to support it?”

Tony remembered his promise, and didn’t correct him. “Won’t know ‘til I look for it, buddy.” He grinned, “Help me move this to storage then get off my ship. I built it for one for a reason.”

Rhodey did as he asked, rolling barrels across the deck and through the door with him. “You know I worry about, man. I just like to know you’re doing alright now and again.”

Tony stopped, his smile becoming more genuine. “I know, Rhodey. And I get it. But I have to do this. You know that.”

Rhodey sighed, defeated. “Yeah, I do. Won’t stop me from whining, though.”

“Yet I love you still.”

When they emerged again, Tony spotted Obie on the pier, his smile a shark’s grin. He had taken over Howard’s company when Tony’s parents had died, allowing the heir to spend his time on the sea. The pair disembarked to meet him.

“So you’re finally doing this.” The older man said. “I’m glad. I know if anyone’s going to cross the Aisle it’ll be you.”

“You know it, Obie.” Tony laughed, “Don’t miss me too much.”

“You’re going now?”

The sailor felt bad for causing the concern on his friend’s face, but he promised to leave today, so clapped him on the shoulder again. “Sorry if I can’t stand here looking at your face much longer, you understand, right- ow!”

“You’re an idiot.” Rhodey grinned as Tony rubbed the spot he had clipped him.

“Just for that, I’m not even going to say bye.” He huffed good-naturedly, boarding the ship again. As the ship was freed from the port, he ran to the edge to give one last message. “Remember to add an extension to the safe, ‘cos we’ll be needing it!”

He could see Rhodey shaking his head at him, Obie waving him off before steering Rhodey away down the pier. When he next looked back, the pier was almost a dot on the water.

And then he was moving, back in his element as he dropped the sails and began to pick up speed. He could feel the wind in his hair and taste salt on his lips and he laughed, euphoric in the freedom the ocean gave him. He suddenly couldn’t wait for the stormier tides so he could truly feel the ebb of the waves, the closest he felt man could come to flying.

He could almost remember his early years on the water, sneaking away from Howard’s business with his mother so she could teach him about the ships. Being lifted so he could grab the wheel with pudgy hands. Sitting on a barrel so he could see over the side to the water. Sometimes, when Howard has gotten drunk again and passed out on his desk, it gave them a few hours to run down to the rowing boats and take a trip around the port. The lull of the waves had never failed to put a young Tony to sleep, safe in an endless blue cradle.


	3. 3.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony meets up with Loki again.

Splashing, out of rhythm with the waves against the ship, caught his ear and pulled him from his reverie so he followed the noise. As expected, he saw a shock of black hair and the flash of a tail.

Tony waved, making himself noticeable, and Loki copied the movement. He wondered briefly if mermaids- mermen?- waved at each other. 

When he was sure the ship didn’t need his immediate attention, he sent a rope over the side and climbed down to meet him at sea level, steadying his feet on the side. “Long time no see, Lo.”

The merman frowned. “That is not my name. You missed a syllable.”

“I know. It’s a nickname. Your name, but shorter. Humans do it for their friends all the time, give them a new version of their name to show friendship. Well, I do. Most people would prefer I didn’t.”

He gave a smile in return. “So I’m a friend?”

“Aren’t you?”

“We met once.”

“Details, details. Listen, I need to get back on deck. You want to join me? It’ll be easier to talk until we reach the Aisles, and I can’t leave the deck for too long.”

Loki hesitated, looking unsure. “I... don’t know. I’ve never been completely out of the water before.”

Tony shrugged. “Well, you can always try. If anything goes wrong I can always shove you overboard.”

With that, Tony began his climb back onto deck. He hoped Loki would join him. He doubted he would want to scream through their conversation, and he really wanted to learn about his new companion. After all, he was an honest-to-god merman! Who spoke of a culture alien to his own, who was as intrigued by Tony as Tony was by him. He would be damned if he wouldn’t find out more before his quest was over.

It seemed, once Tony was back on board, that Loki had made up his mind. He arched back, disappearing under the water before he breached the surface like he had been shot from a cannon. All of a sudden, he was in the air, shooting towards the rigging that softened his landing.

Hanging from the rigging that swung with his momentum, his tail was in full view for the first time. The dark green lightened as it travelled down to the fins, and he spotted that random scales were actually gold. As Loki climbed down to Tony, the tail flexed and flicked and moved with him, each scale catching the light individually. It was mesmerising.  
He eventually reached the wall of the ship and balanced himself precariously on top, looking around in wonder. Tony guessed he had never seen more than the bottom of a ship before, and felt a swell of pride for his creation. “You like it?”

“It’s beautiful. Ships are so much more elegant when they aren’t lying rotten and broken on the seabed.”

Tony winced at the imagery and walked over. “Yeah, about that. How exactly is this going to go, you getting my ship across the Aisles?”

Loki began to gesture, somehow keeping his balance at the same time. “Your relationship with the sea is fundamentally different. You live on land, and so work against the sea with your ship. The waters are a part of us, so we work with it. Think of the tides there as a living being; it doesn’t want to work with intruders- it wants to throw you to the depths. Mermaids can... influence it, in a way, work with it to get where we need to go. I believe I can extend that influence to getting you through.”

“That’s a whole lot of vague for someone who’s meant to get me out of this alive.”

The gestures became dismissive. “I have full confidence in myself, have no fear. We both have our ends of the bargain to fill, after all.”

“Yeah, right. The stories and trinkets. Got it.” Tony nodded, folding his arms, “Why is that an even split for you? I would have thought even mermen would appreciate wealth.”

“Why would we? We have no need of it. You humans and your obsession with metals and gems is mad- why orbit your lives around it?”

“Gems and gold fall into the sea far too often- lost in your shipwrecks, left to the sea in the wills of men who will not see their fortunes passed to another...your treasures no longer interest me. What I seek is what I cannot find in the depths. I have seen parts of the oceans even others of my kind do not care to explore- I want to see the one world from which I am barred.”

Tony listened to him, watched his eyes go distant as he looked upon something that wasn’t there. He couldn’t help but relate- feeling more at home on the endless sea than he ever did on the familiar port, that need to go further than anyone else dared, to find and discover and learn.

“Well, I suppose I could find something in all this junk,” he mused aloud, wandering away, “as a deposit, you know?” 

“A what?”

“A deposit- you know, a bit of the payment before the deal, then the rest of the payment comes after. One of our weird human things. You know what? Perfect thing. Got it. Give me a minute.”

He disappeared below deck, leaving Loki to turn his attention skyward. It looked so still above the waves, it was strange, and just as endless as the sea. The shade was not constant as his eyes moved across, but it was so gradual he almost didn’t notice it. And the sun- so much more blinding with nothing to keep it at bay, he could feel its rays warming his skin. He looked down at the scales of his tail, that looked so different in such bright light, and watched the sunlight play about as he moved. That was easier too- the lack of pressure was astounding. He didn’t realise how pressurised the bottom of the sea was until he was above the waves and surrounded by nothing but air.

“Lo?”

His attention was drawn back to Tony, who held up... something. With holes in it.

“You may have to explain.” He said slowly.

“It’s a jacket. Well, it’s more of a leather waistcoat than anything, so it won’t take on water as much as fabrics would, and it’s got a few pockets so you can hold anything else I find that you like and it won’t weigh you down or restrict your movements-“

“Tony,” Loki cut him off, eyeing the jacket with interest, “I did not mean to sound reluctant. I simply did not know what it was.”

Tony stopped rambling. “Oh, right. Sorry, that happens a lot. You wear it, and you can keep other stuff in the pockets.”

“Fascinating,” he breathed, “and this is mine?”

Tony nodded. “Yeah, you just slip your arms through the holes here. Let me.” 

He stepped closer, helping the merman into the jacket and stepping back to admire the view.

The dark leather contrasted sharply with the ivory skin, drawing Tony’s eye to the unmarked chest. He watched deft fingers explore the pockets it held, working out their clasps easily.

“It’s amazing.” he breathed.

“I should think so.”

“Thank you, Tony.” Loki said before stopping, looking up with a small frown. “Wait, if I am your friend, does that not mean I must give you a nickname?”

“Ah, not really. Tony’s already a nickname, really.”

“Of what?”

“It’s short for Anthony, but everyone calls me Tony these days.”

“Anthony.” He tested the name carefully, but eventually brightened, “I shall use it if no-one else does.”

Tony felt how warm the pit of his stomach suddenly felt at the sound of his name from him. This may be an _issue._


	4. 4.

This revelation was put to the back of his mind as they travelled onwards. They would reach the Aisles within about two days, which gave them plenty of time to get acquainted, which Tony had been itching to do since he had met him. Loki decided to spend the day with Tony as he went about his business on the ship, and then catch up to him in the morning. 

“I hope you don’t sleep on this wood,” Loki commented, running his hand over the deck he lay on, “It doesn’t seem comfortable.”

Tony scoffed, tightening the rope above him as he spoke. “Of course we don’t! We have mattresses and things. Blankets and cushions if we're desperate. What the hell do you sleep on, coral?”

Loki seemed to find that funny. “Don’t be ridiculous. Sand suffices both for camouflage and comfort.”

“I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not.”

“And you never will.”

Tony laughed, leaning against the wall of the mast. “You know, I would have thought salt water damages your throat- I've seen enough amateur sailors show it- but it doesn’t seem to have affected you at all. Why is that?”

“Well that’s simple. Nothing speaks underwater.”

“Really? How do you communicate with other mermaids?”

“You must have noticed this whenever I speak.” He said, exaggerating the gestures that usually accompanied his words, “This is how I usually communicate. Sound doesn’t really travel, but our eyesight is the best there is. This allows us to overcome the communication barrier. It's far better than echo-location that some animals possess, and far more discreet.”

"No way, your species has sign language too?"

"Is that what you call it?"

Tony nodded, eyes going distant for a moment as he recalled something. "I knew a guy briefly. Got into one too many brawls- one day he took a hit and couldn't hear a thing afterwards. Only ever used it to get beer or insult people without them knowing, so I learned it just to join in."

Loki laughed lightly at the idea. "Well, I'm sorry that mine wouldn't translate. That would have opened up many possibilities."

“I don't doubt it. I can’t believe I never figured that out about you, though. But isn’t it dark as hell at the sea bed? How do you see each other?”

“Our eyes have adapted to go as far down as we have to- we can see much more than you could possibly manage. Seeing each other is no issue.”

“But how are you not blinded by the sun right now? If you’re adapted to dark, it should be blinding out here.”

Loki looked impressed, answering with a smile. “It should. That’s where the second eyelid comes in.”

“The what now?”

“Merfolk have two eyelids, a bit like crocodiles. But where they use them to see in the water, we use them to see above it. They protect our eyes and make them seem slightly more human at the same time.”

“More human?” Tony leaned closer, intrigued, “What do they actually look like?”

“Brighter, for one. Very bright, to combat the dark.” 

“Wow. Can you show me?”

Loki raised an eyebrow. “And blind myself in the process?”

Tony winced, backtracking. “No, sorry. I didn’t think- I just-”

“It’s fine.” Loki smiled good-naturedly, “I know you meant no harm.”

Tony breathed a tiny sigh of relief. “Thank god. You have no idea how many people don’t realise. My brain’s just constantly going too fast for me to think about what stays there and what comes out-”

“Then you should be glad of the gift of such a power. There are far too many beings in this world without it.”

They both laughed, and spent the next few hours recounting anecdotes of beings who fit that exact description. For Loki, it was a brother he had, and his friends. For Tony it was the many business associates he had had to deal with for the good of the company. 

“… and even when I was pulled away to dance he wouldn’t leave me be, grabbing a partner as fast as he could and attempting to negotiate as he dragged the poor girl along with us-and that dance is hard enough without trying to escape a slimy little-“

“Anthony,” Loki interrupted, amused by the story, “As much as I would like to hear the rest, it is getting late.”

Tony blinked, looking up at the horizon. It was sunset, purple splashed across the sky and chasing away the cyan. Stars were already visible.

“You should rest,” he continued, “If we want to reach the Aisles promptly, we should make the most of tomorrow. I will need you at your best.”

“Yeah, yeah, right,” Tony nodded, “Rest. Will do. What about you?”

“The ocean has an abundance of little hideaways. I’ll come and find you in the morning.”

“Okay. Are you sure you’ll be able to catch up?”

His smile turned smug, and he leaned as close as he dared from his delicate balance on the wall. “Anthony. If you think a night’s head start will be enough to help you escape me, then you clearly have no idea what I’m capable of.”

Tony grinned at him, ignoring the return of the warmth at his pit to watch Loki launch himself backwards overboard, arms arcing over his head just in time to pierce the waves and disappear. He watched the waves for a few more moments, but when no-one popped up, he went back to looking after the ship. Being a one-man job, it took its time, but Tony was unwilling to trust it to anyone else. Rhodey maybe, but he had promised Loki total secrecy on this, and that was that.

Once he finally finished, he retreated for the night, collapsing onto his bed with a contented sigh, staring up at the ceiling aimlessly. Soon they would reach the Aisles, Loki would fulfill his side of the bargain, and he would pull off the quest of a lifetime.

Then maybe Loki would finally tell him what he really hoped to get out of this, because it sure as hell wasn't just stories and trinkets.


End file.
